The present invention relates to a spindle nut for a ball screw. Preferably the present invention relates to such ball screws used as electro-mechanical steering aids for steering devices of motor vehicles.
From DE 199 44 875 A1 a spindle nut for a ball screw is known, for example, which has an endless ball track for balls. At the inner periphery of the spindle nut, around its rotational axis, a ball groove for balls is provided along a helical line, extending over several threads. Further, a diverting device is provided, in the diverting channels of which balls are deflected from one end of a common thread of the ball groove to the beginning of said common thread of the ball groove. Here, the diverting device is formed by a multitude of diverting pieces, which are each inserted into an opening provided at the periphery of the spindle nut. In order for the balls to be inserted from the ball groove of the spindle nut into the diverting channel of the diverting piece impact free and with low noise, a ball inlet is formed at the spindle nut, which on the one side is adjacent to the ball groove of the spindle nut and, on the other side, extends to the opening of the spindle nut. This ball inlet is frequently prepared or post processed manually, which is rather expensive. While the ball groove provided in the spindle nut frequently and preferably has a so-called gothic profile, i.e. the flanks of the ball groove are larger than the diameter of the balls and intersect at the bottom of the ball groove, such a profile cannot be achieved when producing the ball inlet. Frequently a conical inlet profile develops in the ball inlet.